instant pot greek-ish gigante bean and sausage stew [no soak]

In the same way I have a shelf full of obscure pasta shapes Just For Fun™, I also love to collect esoteric bean varieties in matching mason jars for rainy days. Gigante beans, which are often cooked and served chilled and marinated with herbs as a Greek appetizer, can also be cooked hot and made into a spring-weight stew like you would make with any other bean. But because they’re a little unusual, that also makes them feel a little more luxurious while still being, you know, beans.

I buy Greek gigante beans on Amazon, and throw them straight into the Instant Pot dry without soaking along with broth and aromatics, using a long cook time to make sure the beans are fully tender. When time’s up I fry whole sausages on the stove and slice, release the pressure on the pot, and build the remainder of the stew. You can use other beans (just reduce the cook time accordingly), other greens (I like spinach, but anything that will wilt in a few minutes is fine), and other herbs (I used the Greek palette of oregano-lemon-garlic here plus a little smoked paprika for zazz). Crumbled feta or Greek yogurt wouldn’t be unwelcome at the party; neither would plant-based sausage be, like Field Roast, which if switched in would make this recipe completely vegan. Add a little drizzle of olive oil on top for luxury.

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RECIPE

This recipe for no-soak (who has that kind of time?) Greek-inspired bean and sausage stew comes together in just over an hour, with plenty of herbs and a hit of smoky paprika to keep things interesting. A perfect accompaniment to crusty bread.

Effortful time: <15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves: 4

YOU NEED

  • 2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil, divided

  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 2 cups dried gigante beans, unsoaked—butter beans or Corona beans are similar enough that you can follow the same directions

  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, I use Better than Bouillon

  • 1 lb. sausages, your choice—I used a mild chicken sausage here

  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

  • 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • 5 oz. spinach or other leafy, wilt-able green

  • Juice from one lemon

  • Feta, Greek yogurt, and/or more olive oil, for serving

MAKE IT

  1. Sauté the aromatics. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté-Medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil, and sauté your sliced garlic for 30 seconds, moving it around a lot with a spoon so it doesn’t toast. Turn off the heat and immediately add the vegetable broth to stop the cooking process.

  2. Build the stew. Add the beans, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, and salt. Set to high pressure, 50 minutes. It won’t take long to reach pressure given the small volume of liquid.

  3. Chill out for the next 50 minutes! There’s nothing you need to do.

  4. Cook the sausages. When the pressure cook cycle is complete, let that hang out and naturally release for a moment while you prep the sausages. Put the sausages in a skillet and cover JUST barely with water. Turn the heat to medium high and cook til the water is beginning to simmer, about 8 minutes. Remove them to a board and drain the water / wipe out the pan. Then heat the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil in that same skillet, and brown the now-cooked sausages on all sides until attractively burnished. Set aside and let cool slightly.

  5. Finish the stew. Release any remaining pressure manually. Once that’s done, open up the pot. Add the spinach and lemon juice and stir; the residual heat will wilt the spinach within about 3 minutes. Slice the sausages and serve on top, along with any other Greek-style accoutrements from the list above. For me, a drizzle of nice olive oil alone is perfect.